Thank you, Alex (in Madison, WI)….”Yes,” I’m lucky to have detected a few: N. Waterthrush, Wilson’s, Yellow, Orange-crowned, and Yellow-rumped.

Interesting to me, though, the latter four on the above list are ALL different subspecies than the ones I detect in N. CA where I live (Marin Co., SF Bay Area).

Curiously, I am surprised by the absence of Blackpoll Warbler to date, given last summer I noticed several, including watching nesting behavior in western-northwestern Alaska adjacent to the Anvik River where I stayed for two weeks.

Last month and now I have primarily enjoyed the Arctic Circle area at Iniakuk Lake (west of Coldfoot by approximately 150 miles). Beyond wood-warblers, the most typical species have been Gray-cheeked Thrush, Wilson’s Snipe, (Gambel’s) White-crowned Sparrow, and, yes, Common Loon.

Misses so far on this trip due to fires that have impeded my travel: Yellow-billed Loon, Bluethroat, and N. Wheatear.

Oh well, next year, I hope….given I return to leading bird tours as soon as I return this week after the 4th of July holiday. I’ll be leading a birder to pursue the CA Condor at Pinnacles National Park, an hour south of San Jose.

Meanwhile, happy birding discoveries….Regards, Daniel, WarblerWatch.com, DanielEdelstein@att.net